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Last Updated on January 30, 2023 by TWP Help
We are here to help you with your TWP exterior deck or wood restoration project for 2024!
TWP is an advanced wood preservative/protectant registered by the EPA. Performance and longevity can vary though depending on the wood type, how the wood is prepped, the age of wood, and how the TWP is applied. We want everyone who has decided to use TWP 100, 1500, or 200 Series to have the best possible results.
TWP Stain Tips and Help
When asking questions please give us some information about your wood restoration project:
- What structure is your wood? Examples would be: Deck, Wood Siding, Fence, etc
- What species is the wood? Examples: Treated Pine, Cedar, Redwood, Ipe, etc
- Is the wood new or older than 1 year?
- Has the wood been stained previously with a different brand? Please specify brand name and type of stain used: Examples: Solid stain, Semi-Transparent Stain, etc.
- Any additional info that would be useful
Once you supply us with the information, we will able to give you advice as to how to prep your wood and any needed instructions for the TWP application.
Please ask your questions in the comment area.
Thanks
For three years I have annually applied minwax indoor/outdoor Helmsman spar urethane to my exterior rough cut cedar posts. They were newly installed and had never been treated before. Last week I had my house power washed. The cedar posts were washed with a bleach water solution. Now they look dried out, and the sides of the posts that receive lots of sun are a bit gray. I want to stain with TWP 200 series total wood protectant in California Cedar. What should my process be? Should I use stripper or cleaner? If I need stripper, do I need any additives? Please tell me what products you recommend to get my posts looking good again. Thanks!
It is not possible to strip a spar urethane so you will have to sand it all off if you want to use the TWP stains.
After I sand it off, can I move right to staining? Are there any other steps I need to take?
Use the Gemini Kit after sanding to clean and brighten.
I have half a bucket of twp left from 2 years ago and it has thickened up.. What can I use to dilute it?
It has gone bad and cannot be used.
Hello,
I would like to know if I can do a semi solid lighthouse stain on this deck that has not been stained in the last 5 years. The last stain 4 years ago was TWP 1500 cedartone applied on top of whatever was before (after some stripping), you can still see some old stain on the railings but the other areas are in bad shape.
As long as you prep with the RAD Stripper/Brightener Kit, then you can.
Hello,
I would like to know if I can do a semi solid lighthouse stain on this deck that has not been stained in the last 5 years. The last stain 4 years ago was TWP 1500 cedartone applied on top of whatever was before (after some stripping), you can still see some old stain on the railings but the other areas are in bad shape.
As long as you prep with the RAD Stripper/Brightener Kit, then you can.
before applying the stain should you sand first( grit?) assuming 60 or 80
No need.
Getting ready to apply 1500 series on Redwood deck after cleaning, Planning wet on wet application, what is the drying time needed before rain and/or for pets to walk on the surface?
6-24 hours.
Hi – I applied TWP Semi – solid on a very old cedar deck , I did attempt the wet on wet application but while worried bout not having enough product to finish the deck, I didnt apply enough and the deck needs more stain in a few areas. I have ordered more stain to arrive this week, any special instructions on how to apply a second coat ( NOT wet on wet ) ?
It may not take now so best to leave it alone for 6-9 months, lightly clean, and recoat then.
Thank you for the very quick reply !
How many coats of the semi solid stain will I need to apply? I have 175 sq ft
Older wood, two coats wet on wet. About 2 gallons.
I sanded my deck with 100 grit. When can I apply TWP Pro?
Use the Gemini Restore Kit now to open up the pores of the wood and then you can stain: https://www.twpstain.com/gemini-s-restore-a-deck-cleaner-and-brightener-kit
Is unused/unopened product returnable for refund if I order too much? If not, what is the best long term storage method?
https://www.twpstain.com/refund
Store where it cannot freeze.
Is unused/unopened product returnable for a refund if I over purchase?
https://www.twpstain.com/refund
I have used twp 1500 stain on my deck for a couple years now. I had just bought this place and the decks were in horrible condition.
I’m now wondering if I should, or could, switch to semi solid instead of semi transparent for better coverage??
What are your thoughts on this? Thank you!
Pics?
You can pick it up at our location in Bloomfield Hills
2388 Franklin Rd
Bloomfield Hils, MI 48302
You would want the same 100 Series.
I have an IPE deck. Will TWP work on IPE and if so are there special instructions for applying to IPE?
You can use it on IPE but IPE require annual reapplication due to the dense nature of the IPE. Most use Rustic color.
I have painted trim around my deck. Will the stripper mess that up ?
The stripper does not remove paint.
I have a new cedar fence that has been installed , I have let it dry out for 12 months. Recently I started staining the fence utilizing the two coat method (1500 series stain) as stated on the installation directions but I have read in a few comments from TWP that only one coat is required for new wood I am a little confused. If only one coat is required , will the fence sections that I did be ok with two coats did I over stain?? Question #2 yesterday I stained two sections and finished up around 5:30PM , when I woke up this morning sometime during the night there was drissel, not a heavy rain even though there was no moisture forecast in the weather forecast. I think it was for a very short time because there was no measurable amount of water in a open can I left outside. So my newly stained sections did see a little moisture not a heavy rain, will this be a problem?? Presently I don’t see any noticeable water marks. Thank you
Fences typically are rough-cut wood so they need two coats applied wet on wet. It should be fine from the rain.
can I buy TWP 1500 honey tone deck stain/sealant in Omaha?
We sell online only at http://www.twpstain.com
Hi -I am staining 1392 sq ft of 6 inch cedar fence (232 linear feet).
A light colored stain was applied 3 years ago using a Behr stain product.
We are going with the 103 dark oak.
I live in Colorado Springs. We have very little moisture and a lot of UV rays.
What product do you suggest?
I planned on buying a Graco paint sprayer such as the ‘Magnum Project Painter Plus Paint Sprayer.’
Which of your products do you suggest, how many gallons and what spray tip size to you suggest?
Regards;
Mike T
Colorado Springs
If you are doing both sides then you have twice the sq footage. You also need to remove the Behr first and we would need to see pics for prep help. For CO, you need the TWP 1503 as the 100 Series is not legal in CO as of two years ago. About 20-28 gallons for two coats applied wet on wet if doing both sides.
Good morning, thank you for the reply.
The fence is 4 years old and Behr stain was applied 3 years ago.
I have three photos attached.
What spray tip size would be best, and how to prep the fence?
Would a 315 spray tip work?
-MikeT
Use this kit with both stripper additives for prep: https://www.twpstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit-detail
Any fan tip will work when spraying.
I have a new, but plenty weathered pine deck that I used TSP 100 stain on. There wasn’t time to do two coats while wet. Because this is a pool deck I would like to do two coats on the floor. It’s been 24 hours since I applied the first coat with consistent temps of 90°. Can I still add a second coat to the floor?
No, it has to be wet on wet if applying a second coat and only one coat for new wood. You can clean and recoat in 6-12 months.
We are taking on a two story, 20 year old deck project. It hasn’t had any products on it since it was installed. Which prep product do I need?
The Gemini Restore kit: https://www.twpstain.com/gemini-s-restore-a-deck-cleaner-and-brightener-kit
Thank you! Also, there are two step boards that are damaged and must be replaced. But the estate is being sold so we don’t have the option to wait for new wood to age. Any suggestions? We are planning on using the TWP Dark Oak.
Just prep and stain all now since it is only two steps. Might want to let the new owner know the color and stain so they can touch up the new steps as they will need another coat in 9-12 months.
I am building a barn with rough cut pine ship lap siding and am looking for a gray stain that will last.
Why doesn’t TWP 1500 come in Gray?
What is the differance between TWP 1500 and TWP 200?
The 200 is designed for rough-cut shakes and shingles and would work best for your rough-cut siding. Look at the Slate Gray.
my twp stain has thickened to a gel consistency. can I thin it?
No, it has gone bad.
We have a new deck with a beautiful pine bead board ceiling. I want to stain this a lighter color than the rest of the deck (I’m thinking honeytone). What would be a complimentary color for the vertical beams, handrails and decking? Or should I stain everything the same color? Thanks for your help!
See this about new wood: https://twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
You can do a contrast. Colors are really up to you and what you like and are looking for.
I am putting down a second coat of TWP 103 dark oak. I initially built and stained this deck 2 years ago. I did a test area and, unsurprisingly, it’s good bit darker. Is there anything I can do to lighten up the stain? Perhaps mix it with a lighter color such as “honeytone”? Or, use TWP 1500 “natural”? I see that I cannot thin TWP 103 and so I am wondering what options I might have. This is in Charlotte, NC. Thanks much.
You can lighten it by adding the TWP 100 Clear into it.
I prepped my deck using the Gemini products. Due to rainy weather, it has been 3 weeks since prepping on one section without following up with the stain (1500 series). Is it still OK to stain when weather permits, or do I need to repeat the prep? This is in Kansas.
You should lightly redo the prep by brightening and giving the wood a good pressure wash rinse.
Please help! Had entire house sanded to bare wood summer 2021, rolled and back brushed 1500 Cedartone on cedar shingles. About 5% of the singles on the sunny south side have a slight green tint. Also some maybe another 5% have what seems to be “not enough” oil/stain, dry looking. Can I just recoat or MUST I wash off the finish and start over? This seems counter productive to remove any finish just to recoat. Please advise.
You always have to prep when recoating but you do not have to remove the base coat of TWP.
Thanks. Could I just lightly powerwash with bleach as aprep?
For best results prep with this kit: https://www.twpstain.com/gemini-s-restore-a-deck-cleaner-and-brightener-kit
Why is it necessary for two coats of TWP 1500 on an existing wooden privacy fence that I’ve used TWP on for many years? Can I just do one coat?
Roger Neu
If you have a base coat of TWP then you can get away with doing one coat.
The last application was TWP100 dark oak, do to the condition of the wood, I was thinking of stripping and using a semi solid. What would you suggest?
es, strip and brighen with the Restore A Deck Stripper/Brighener Kits and then stain with any color that you like.
Hi! I have a 7 year old cedar shingle on my home. We live in Wyoming where the elements are harsh—very dry, 300+ days of sun, extreme cold, hail etc. The shingles are in pretty good shape, but some are cupping because I don’t believe they have ever been stained. What products should I use to prep and stain?
For this you would want the TWP 200 series: https://www.twpstain.com/twp-200-series-5-gallon
It is designed for dried-out shakes and shingles.
Thank you! Also, do I use both stripper and brightener first?
Post pics for prep help.
Pics attached
No pics.
Pics
Use this kit for prep: https://www.twpstain.com/gemini-s-restore-a-deck-cleaner-and-brightener-kit
Thanks in advance, great service………..
I have a 350 sq foot, 4 inch board cedar deck on the back of my house. The house has cedar siding and we are in Western Washington.
The deck is 10 to 20 years old, we just bought the house and are making repairs. The deck is stained, not sure of the stain coating. Found a unused gallon of TWP 103 Dark Oak in the garage and want to use it in this process.
I have to replace 5 boards on the deck and want the total project to look good.
Here is my plan and questions:
Replace the 5 damage boards with new cedar. Let weather for 6 months to cure.
After 6 months, buy the RAD stripper/Brightener kit and prepare the deck. Sand spot small areas if needed. ?? Can I use this stripper product on the 5 new boards or do I have to buy the Gemini Restore kit for these boards??
Within 2 weeks apply the Oak stain to the whole deck……………….??not sure here….2 coats on the old part and one coat on the new 5 boards OR one coat on the entire deck and follow up 6 months later with a clean/brighten/ 2nd stain cycle on the whole deck??
Since I am going to paint the house horizontal cedar boards later a dark brown color. Can I be less careful in the stripping process about any splashing on the siding when I work on the deck??
thanks again.
Post some pictures for prep help and you will need more than the 1 gallon. Probably about 3 gallons.
Hi,
I have a 800 sq ft deck that is exposed to full sun most of the day. We live in central Alabama and the area receives lots of rain in the winter and hot sun in the summer. It is pressure treated pine. It had a solid stain from Benjamin Moore that quickly peeled and has been totally stripped. The deck is 6 years old. What type of stain do you recommend? I would like to use the Cape Cod Gray.
Thank you in advance.
You can use the TWP 105 Cape Cod gray for this as long as the solid stain has been fully removed.
In 2016 did my deck with TWP 103. The can was labeled “Total Wood Preservative” It’s time to re-apply. Now the 100 Series is called “wood protectant” and the 1500 series is called “Preservative”. What is the difference between the two? If I used “preservative” then should I use it now? I live in Northern Wisconsin. My deck is pressure treated wood and gets about 40-50% sun.
Use the TWP 103 that you used prior, not the 1500 Series. https://www.twpstain.com/twp-100-series
The RAD gel additive that I ordered was separated. First 6 ounces came out as clear liquid. Now I just have thick yellow goo. What can I do to make this remaining stuff usable?
Conrad Zipperian
Try shaking it all togeher so it mixes evenly. If still an issue, contact us through your order email and we can send another.
Getting ready to apply cleaner and brightener, and then 1500 stain to my PTP deck. I understand that temps must be above 50 to apply, but can they dip below 50 at night and during the drying period? I live in New Hampshire and we have a good 10-day dry spell ahead. The temps during the day will be 60+, but are still getting down to the upper 30’s and 40’s at night. Thanks!
Yes but they cannot drop into the 30s or near or below freezing.
I pressure washed my deck, used cleaner and brightener. After 60 hours I applied twp 1511. It has now been 18 hours and my deck is not dry. What do I do?
Let it dry and cure out. It can take a few days.
We have a 6 year old deck built with Elite Decking, which at the time was a blend of fir and hemlock (pressure treated & prestained). It’s been stained with F&P Cedar but now is mostly weathered & cracking except where it’s been in the shade. I’ve been planning to strip as much as possible then restain with either 100 or 1500 series. I’m now testing samples and getting inconsistent results and have ordered your stripping kit to properly strip and test. Are TWP stains appropriate for these wood types? Thanks
Yes, they are.
It’s going to be in the upper 80’s when i am planning on staining with the Simi solid is that to hot
No.
Built a new redwood deck and anticipate waiting until the end of summer before I use a TWP stain as some of the lumber was “very” fresh ,,, One problem, “someone” used baking soda to try and clean up a liquid spill but ended up causing ugly black staining when the baking soda reacted with the tannins…. What can I do to clean/repair the black staining ??? other than trying to flip the planks is there anything I can do? deck has already weathered (California weather) for a month but stains are new ..thx
Sorry but no idea what will remove these black stains or if they can be removed.
1. Is wet and forget compatible to use with twp oil based deck stains, for maintenance to prevent or clean molds and algae from decks?
2. Is there an additive to use with twp oil stain to prevent molds, mildew and algae growth on decks.
Thanks.
1. There should be no issues once the TWP is fully cured.
2. No and there is already an EPA registered mildewcide in the stain.
Our deck is 3 years old, treated pine. Two years ago I protected it using Thompson WaterSeal Oil based wood waterproofer. Can I stain it now with TWP 100 assuming I treat it first with the Restore-A-Deck cleaner and brightener?
You will need to remove the Thompsons so use the RAD Stripper/Brightener Kit.
Does mixing TWP 100 clear and dark walnut reduce the UV protection…would there be enough UV protection in a 1:1 mix ratio?Rob
Yes, it will reduce the UV protection. It should still last a couple of years on a deck surface though.
I stained my deck 3 years ago with TWP-120 and I am now retaining my deck with TWP-120. Do I need to strip the old stain completely first or is it sufficient to use the Gemini’s Restore-A-Deck cleaner and brightener before restaining?
Use the Gemini Kit for prep.
Our older deck has been cleaned and restained multiple times. The last two times we used the TWP100 series in Pecan (120). I am getting ready to clean/prep deck again and need to order more stain. Should I stick with the TWP100 or try TWP1500? If I switch, will the color Pecan1520 still match? Thanks!
Stick with the 100 series.
Thanks! Also – I want to use the Restore-A-Deck cleaner and brightener. Do I power-wash all the pollen and dust off the deck first, then follow instructions?
No, just use the RAD Kit while pressure washing.
2 Questions
1) I know many folks use the application method of SPRAYING on TWP first and BACK BRUSHING. Would applying TWP with a Brush ONLY be better, and allow for better penetration and less waste?
2) I put down 5/4 treated decking boards about 6 months ago. My deck is completely under roof. Moisture meter reading when first put boards down was 21%. They are down to about 18% now. I did the prep kit you sell. I know 18% is still a little wet, but I have some of the same boards down on a boat dock that are in complete sun, and they are only down to 15-16%. They have been down for over 3 years. Am I good to go ahead and stain at the 17-18% mark provided I just put one coat, and come back next year to put another coat?
1. No issues with spraying and then back brushing the 2nd coat.
2. Only one coat for new wood so just do it all by hand. You can apply the one coat now.
Do you ship to Canada or have authorized dealers in Canada?
No dealers in Canada but we ship the 200 Series there: https://www.twpstain.com/twp-200-series-5-gallon
Is that only available in the semisolid? I’m really looking for semi-transparent in grey.
The 200 Series is semi-transparent.
I just finished stripping my deck (took 4 days-large deck), now it appears I have a chance of rain for the next 8 days (unusual for May) If 2 weeks pass and I see a window of 3-4 days, is the best prep: dilute the stripper, reapply, use brightener, then wait 24-48 and apply TWP1500?
No. If after two weeks, just redo the brightener and pressure rinse for prep.
Thanks for quick response
Hello, I have a deck. I replaced the decking last June with all new treated 1 1/4” pine decking (wood from Home Depot). The wood came with cedar tone already on it. After going through the winter I believe I am now ready to treat it with TWP.
Question is what do you recommend I do?
I want to keep the same cedar-tone color and make it last! What exact products do I need to do this and have great results?
You will need to remove the factory coating first. Use this kit for prep: https://www.twpstain.com/gemini-s-restore-a-deck-cleaner-and-brightener-kit
Then you can use any of the colors of the TWP that you like:
https://www.twpstain.com/twp-100-series-stain-colors-and-photo-albums/
https://www.twpstain.com/twp-1500-series-stain-colors-and-photo-albums/
15 year old deck, pine. After cleaning and brightening and first coat of TWP 100 Rustic, how long should I wait to apply the second coat?
See here: https://twpstainhelp.com/twp-stain-wet-on-wet-application/
We have a 25 year old deck, pine. We sanded off all of the old stain in 2015. Applied TWP 100 Cedar. Lasted great. In 2020, stripped, brightened, and power washed deck. Applied TWP 100 Cedar again, wet on wet. Last year noticed a couple of boards flaking. This year many. Any ideas on what we did wrong? How should we restain this year? Thank you
The stain did not soak in fully. This could be due to improper prep, over-applying, wet wood, etc. Basically, the TWP was unable to fully soak into the wood grain and then dried on top of the wood. When this happens, you can have issues like this, especially in a cold-weather state.
This year, strip and brighten for prep with this kit this year: https://www.twpstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit-detail
Let dry for at least 48 hours. Then make sure to apply only as much TWP as the wood will allow.
My TWP (315UV QD Light Cedar)Wood protectant won’t dry on my bamboo fencing. Its been 5 days. Outside, with no rain. California. Still very tacky. Is there something wrong here? How long do I wait? I’m concerned. This is actually holding up a whole yard project.
Thank you for any info you can give me.
We do not sell the TWP 300 Series. Best to call the manufacturer directly for assistance. The number is on the containers.